Holly Madison
Holly Sue Cullen (born December 23, 1979), known professionally as Holly Madison, is an American model, showgirl and television personality. She is widely known for being one ofHugh Hefner's girlfriends on the reality television series The Girls Next Door and for her own reality series, Holly's World. Although not a Playboy Playmate, she has appeared in nude pictorials with her Girls Next Door costars, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. In 2009, she appeared as a contestant on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars. Early life[edit source | editbeta] Madison was born in Astoria, Oregon, to Steve and Patsy Cullen. She has a younger brother named Joseph and a younger sister named Stephanie. Her father's work in the maritime shipping industry led her family to travel. From ages 2 through 11, she lived on Prince of Wales Island, near Ketchikan, Alaska. Her family later moved back to Oregon, this time to St. Helens. She attended Portland State University for two years, majoring in both theater and psychology. In 1999, Madison moved to Los Angeles and attended Loyola Marymount University. To afford college tuition, she competed to become a Hawaiian Tropic model and worked at Hooters. Madison's appearance at these venues led to invitations to Hefner's Playboy Mansion. After more than a year of such visits, Madison was invited to move in. She became one of Hefner's seven official girlfriends in August 2001. In February 2002, after all but two of his girlfriends left, Madison became Hefner's "#1 Girl" and moved into his bedroom. She was named among the top Hooters girls of all time in 2008 as part of the restaurant's twenty-fifth anniversary. Madison has spoken openly about her cosmetic surgeries, having had both a rhinoplasty and breast augmentation. After the latter procedure, her bust measurements went from an A-cup to a D. In 2011, Madison announced that she had insured her breasts for $1 million. She also once had a red Playboy Bunny logo tattooed on her lower back but later had it removed. Career[edit source | editbeta] 2003-2009: Playboy and The Girls Next Door[edit source | editbeta] In 2003, Madison was the subject of a Playboy Cyber Girl of the Week pictorial on the magazine's website. She also appeared on the cover and inside of the November 2005 issue of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playboy_(magazine) Playboy], along with Marquardt and Wilkinson, as part of a special pictorial promoting The Girls Next Door. The women were featured again on the covers of the September 2006, March 2008, and February 2009 issues. In the Season 3 episode "Girls Next Door," Madison stated that she wanted to have a career producing Playboy spreads. During seasons three and four, Madison was shown working at the Playboy studios as an intern and later a junior photo editor. She also helped design and put together The Girls Next Door 2008 calendar. A self-described animal lover, Madison started writing articles about pets in 2006 for a friend's quarterly magazine, The Coolest Little Pet Magazine. In April 2007, Madison was featured nude in a PETA advertisement, with the tagline "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur." In February 2009, she quit working for the company altogether due to the split from Hefner making her position "awkward." After The Girls Next Door[edit source | editbeta] Dancing with the Stars[edit source | editbeta] Madison was chosen to replace Jewel on Dancing with the Stars, after Jewel and Nancy O'Dell were forced to withdraw due to injuries sustained during rehearsal.[11][12] She partnered with Dmitry Chaplin.[11][13] On March 26, 2009,Robin Leach reported that Madison, too, had been injured while practicing, that she had been seen by a doctor and had received a prescription to treat severe rib pain.[13] Said Madison, "I am committed to the show and my partner Dmitry. I will rest when it’s possible. I fully hope and expect to dance on Monday."[13] On the March 31, 2009 double elimination show,[13] Holly and Dmitry were voted off. [14] World's largest bikini parade[edit source | editbeta] In May 2009, Madison and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman led a Guinness World Record-breaking "largest bikini parade ever."According to the Las Vegas Sun, "The politician and the former Playboy play thing joined forces to usher in the city's summer swimsuit season..." in an event timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. The 281 parade participants broke the prior record of 250.The mark has subsequently been eclipsed by events in the Cayman Islands (331), Brisbane, Australia (357) and Panama City, Florida (450). ''Peepshow''[edit source | editbeta] Madison starred in a topless burlesque show called Peepshow at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. She was brought in to replace Kelly Monaco after Monaco's three-month contract was up. Madison was likewise initially signed to a three-month contract. It was eventually extended to a full year. She left the show in 2012 due to her pregnancy. She was succeeded by Angel Porino. ''Holly's World''[edit source | editbeta] Like former The Girls Next Door co-star Kendra Wilkinson, Madison starred in her own reality show, Holly's World, which revolved around her life at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. "It's all good-natured and not mean like other reality shows," Madison said of her show. "I'm really excited about the new series because I am also getting a legitimate co-producer credit for all the work I do behind the camera. It's not a vanity credit. I'm super excited to learn from the best and take on new responsibilities." The show premiered with a "preview episode" on December 6, 2009, and ran for 2 seasons. Personal life[edit source | editbeta] During her time with Hugh Hefner, Madison stated that she wanted to marry Hefner and have his children. During an interview at the Playmate of the Year luncheon in May 2008, Hefner stated, "I love Holly very much and I think we’re going to be together the rest of my life, but marriage isn’t part of my puzzle. It’s not a personal thing; I just haven’t had much luck with marriages." On October 7, 2008, Madison announced in a video posted on TMZ.com that her relationship with Hefner had ended, but that she, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson are "still filming stuff together."[24] Hugh Hefner confirmed the breakup stating that, "If Holly says it's over, I guess it's over." Despite the breakup, all three girls committed to a sixth season of The Girls Next Door. From late 2008 to early 2009, Madison dated illusionist Criss Angel. Madison was interviewed by People on March 4, 2009, stating "I'm never dating anybody again. I don't need a man. I'm really happy with myself and being with my friends... I'm focused on forwarding my career. I'm working on producing my own shows. Girls Next Door was a great place to start but it was somebody else's show. I'm just ready to move on." From late 2010 to early 2011 Madison dated Jack Barakat, a member of the band All Time Low. In August 2012, Madison announced that she and boyfriend Pasquale Rotella were expecting their first child together. Madison gave birth to their daughter, Rainbow Aurora Rotella, on March 5, 2013 in Las Vegas.Madison announced on her blog that she and Rotella are engaged. Category:1979 births